Set up by the RSPCA 20 years ago and a registered charity, Freedom Food is the only farm assurance scheme where members must meet animal welfare standards set by the RSPCA.

The RSPCA welfare standards cover every aspect of the animal's life, including feed and water provision, their environment, how they're managed, health care, transport and humane slaughter.

Amongst other requirements the standards ensure the animals are given a nourishing diet and a comfortable and stimulating environment which meets their physical and behavioural needs.

We have more than 3,000 members across farming and food production and you can buy Freedom Food labelled meat, fish and eggs in many of the UK’s supermarkets.

It’s not just farmers who have to meet the standards, it’s everyone involved in the animals’ lives – so we also assess hatcheries, transporters, animal handlers, abattoirs and processors. In addition, RSPCA farm livestock officers carry out monitoring visits.

We hope that the higher level of animal welfare required by the Freedom Food scheme will, in time, become general best practice.

If more consumers insist on higher welfare products, more supermarkets will want to stock them, which will encourage more farmers to improve their farming practices and ultimately more farm animals will benefit.

Freedom Food is the affordable higher welfare choice - thank you for looking for the Freedom Food label and helping us improve the lives of farm animals; we couldn’t do it without you!